UPDATE: Athy Midwifery Clinic To Reopen Next Week, Women Notified And Midwife Staff To Be Boosted

Thursday, 22 May 2025 08:52

By Martin Osborne

The hospital is currently contacting affected women directly to inform them of the resumption.

Midwifery-led antenatal clinics in Athy and Portarlington are set to resume next week, following a sudden suspension that left many local women without care and raised concerns among public representatives.

The Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise has confirmed that services will operate as normal from next week in Athy Primary Care Centre and Portarlington Primary Care Centre.

The hospital is currently contacting affected women directly to inform them of the resumption.

The sudden disruption, which was due to "unplanned staff leave", had forced women to travel to The Spraoi Centre in Portlaoise for antenatal care.

Some patients received cancellation texts less than 24 hours before scheduled appointments.

The abrupt changes led to confusion and frustration, particularly as some staff at the Athy Primary Care Centre were reportedly unaware of the service suspension until local women alerted them.

In response to the situation, Taoiseach Micheál Martin addressed Kfm's report in the Dáil, stating he would speak with the HSE and the Minister for Health.

He acknowledged that there is "normally" a background to such disruptions but committed to engaging with relevant stakeholders to find a resolution.

The HSE apologised to those affected, and Kfm has been informed that efforts are now underway to stabilise the service, including enhancing recruitment of midwifery staff to avoid further interruptions.

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